On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the abode of Alavaka, the Yakkha (demon), at Alavi. Then Alavaka approached the Blessed One and said: "Get out, recluse (samana)." — "Very well, friend," so saying the Blessed One went out.

"Get out recluse," said Alavaka to the Blessed One a fourth time. — "No, O friend, I will not get out. Do what you will."

"I will ask you a question, recluse. If you do not answer me, I will confound your mind (thoughts), or cleave your heart, or take you by your feet and fling you over to the further shore of the ocean (para gangaya).

"Well, friend, I do not see anyone in the world of Devas, Maras, Brahmas, or among the generation of recluses, brahmanas, deities, and humans, who could either confound my mind or cleave my heart, or take me by the feet and fling me over to the further shore of the ocean; nevertheless, friend, ask what you will."

Then Alavaka addressed the Blessed One in verse:

1. What wealth here is best for man?What well practiced will happiness bring?What taste excels all other tastes?How lived is the life they say is best?

[The Buddha:]2. Faith is the wealth here best for man;Dhamma well practiced shall happiness bring;Truth indeed all other tastes excels;Life wisely lived they say is best.

[Alavaka:]3. How does one the currents1 cross?How is ocean's2 existence crossed?How is one's suffering quelled?How is one purified?

[The Buddha:]4. By faith are currents crossed;By diligence is the ocean crossed;By effort is one's suffering quelled;By wisdom is one purified;

[Alavaka:]5. How does one wisdom win?How does one wealth obtain?How does one come to fame?How does one friendship win?How does one without sorrow fareWhen from this world to another he's gone?

[The Buddha:]6. The mindful and discerning one,Who in the Dhamma plead his faith;By his will to hear that DhammaWins the wisdom of Nibbana.

7. Who is tactful and energetic,And gains wealth by his own effort;Fame will he acquire by truth,And friendship by his giving.

8. He who has faith and is also truthful,virtuous, firm, and fond of giving;By virtue of these four conditionsWill never in the hereafter grieve.

9. Truth and Restraint,Charity and Forbearance,Are the great reformers of man;If there be any betterAsk of other samanas and brahmanas.

[Alavaka:]10. Why should I now try to askFrom other samanas and brahmanasWhen this day I came to learnWhat weal is here and hereafter?

12. From village to village and town to townI shall now wander alongPraising that Supreme BuddhaAnd the Dhamma well preached by him.Having thus spoken, Alavaka said to the Blessed One:

"Most excellent, O Gotama, is thy teaching, most excellent. Just as a man would set upright what is overturned, reveal what is concealed, point out the way to one gone astray, bring an oil lamp into the darkness so that those with eyes could see objects; even so the Dhamma (doctrine) has been declared in many a manner by the Venerable Gotama. I take refuge in the Venerable Gotama (the Buddha), in the Dhamma and in the Sangha (the Order). May the Venerable Gotama accept me as a disciple who has taken refuge, from this day forth while life lasts."

Notes

1."Current" stands for the Pali word 'ogha' which is fourfold — sense pleasures, becoming, wrong views and ignorance (kama-ogha, bhava-o., ditthi-o., avijja-o).2."Ocean" stands for the Pali word 'annavam' which is metaphorically used to signify repeated existence, or samsara.

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

Translator's note: This discourse is the source of many proverbs frequently quoted in Theravadin countries. In 1982, when Thailand was celebrating the 200th anniversary of the founding of the current dynasty, His Majesty the King structured his chief address to the Thai people around the four qualities mentioned in the Buddha's last verse.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Alavi in the haunt of the Alavaka yakkha. Then the Alavaka yakkha went to the Blessed One and on arrival said to him: "Get out, contemplative!"

[Saying,] "All right, my friend," the Blessed One went out.

"Come in, contemplative!"

[Saying,] "All right, my friend," the Blessed One went in.

A second time... A third time, the Alavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One, "Get out, contemplative!"

[Saying,] "All right, my friend," the Blessed One went out.

"Come in, contemplative!"

[Saying,] "All right, my friend," the Blessed One went in.

Then a fourth time, the Alavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One, "Get out, contemplative!"

"I won't go out, my friend. Do what you have to do."

"I will ask you a question, contemplative. If you can't answer me, I will possess your mind or rip open your heart or, grabbing you by the feet, hurl you across the Ganges."

"My friend, I see no one in the cosmos with its devas, Maras & Brahmas, its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk, who could possess my mind or rip open my heart or, grabbing me by the feet, hurl me across the Ganges. But nevertheless, ask me what you wish."

[Alavaka:]What is a person's highest wealth?What, when well-practiced, brings bliss?What is the highest of savors?Living in what way is one's life called the best?

[The Buddha:]Conviction is a person's highest wealth.Dhamma, when well-practiced, brings bliss.Truth is the highest of savors.1Living with discernment, one's life is called best.

[Alavaka:]How does one cross over the flood?How cross over the sea?How does one overcome suffering & stress?How is a person purified?

[The Buddha:]Through conviction one crosses over the flood.Through heedfulness, the sea.Through persistence one overcomes suffering & stress.Through discernment a person is purified.

[Alavaka:]How does one gain discernment?How does one find wealth?How does one attain honor?How bind friends to oneself? Passing from this world to the next world,how does one not grieve?